🧠 New research in NeuroImage links increased social media use in young adolescents (ages 10-13) to physical brain differences, specifically a thinner outer brain layer in areas crucial for attention, memory, and emotional control.

🔬 The study analyzed data from 7,614 children using structural MRI scans and found that higher average daily social media use correlated with reduced cortical thickness across several brain regions.

🤔 Researchers caution that while these physical differences are statistically significant, their size is comparable to effects from reading or watching TV, and the study cannot definitively prove causation – meaning it's unclear if social media causes these brain changes or if pre-existing differences lead to more social media use.

#SocialMedia #BrainDevelopment #AdolescentHealth

UK study of 30,920 adolescents aged 12–15 finds peer pressure, bullying and emotional distress increase substance use, while strong family ties and school belonging are protective. Close friendships are not always protective and may increase exposure to substance use

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#AdolescentHealth #MentalHealth #SubstanceUse

Adolescents in California consistently perceive cannabis as less harmful than other commonly used substances. Younger ones view it as more harmful, and peer influence plays a major role as well

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#CannabisPerception #AdolescentHealth #PeerInfluence

Cannabis use during adolescence is associated with differences in brain regions involved in motivation and reward. Teens who repeatedly used cannabis showed signs of reduced dopamine‑related neurophysiology, with higher-potency products showing more pronounced effects.

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#CannabisResearch #AdolescentHealth #Neurobiology

Adolescent cannabis users have reduced ventral striatum activity during reward anticipation

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#CannabisResearch #Neuroeconomics #AdolescentHealth

Girls are the largest consumers of anxiolytic and sedative drugs among adolescents in most European countries. However, the consumption between girls and boys is more balanced in the wealthiest countries with greater gender equality

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#AdolescentHealth #GenderEquality #MentalHealthAwareness

* 🚺 A study analyzing psychotropic drug use in 32 European countries found that girls are the biggest consumers of anxiolytic and sedative drugs among adolescents.

* 🌍 In countries with greater gender and economic equality, adolescent psychotropic drug consumption is more balanced between genders, despite overall higher rates.

* 📉 Conversely, in countries with lower gender and economic parity, girls consume proportionally more psychotropic drugs, and the gender gap in consumption is wider.

#MentalHealth #AdolescentHealth #PublicHealth

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🧠 New UC Davis research suggests adolescent brain activity when viewing emotional faces predicts future social health.

📈 High amygdala activity in response to faces indicated more peer involvement for girls but less for boys two years later.

🔬 The amygdala, known for emotional responses and face processing, was the sole brain region found to predict social health outcomes.

#Neuroscience #AdolescentHealth #BrainResearch

New research reveals that year-to-year increases in problematic social media use (PSMU) are directly linked to rising attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, particularly among adolescent boys

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#ADHD #SocialMediaImpact #AdolescentHealth

Teenagers (avg 12 years) who spent six or more hours a day on social media were 2x as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and 3x as likely to report suicidal ideation than those who spent less than an hour on social media each day, with girl reporting higher usage than boys

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#SocialMediaMentalHealth #AdolescentHealth #TeenWellbeing

GLP-1 use rising rapidly among U.S. adolescents, young adults. Severe obesity among adolescents and young adults has increased substantially over the past two decades, currently affecting about 9% of people between ages 12 and 18. Among adults, the rate of severe obesity increased from 5% to 10%.

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#GLP1 #AdolescentHealth #ObesityPrevention

Nicotine use during adolescence (17-19Y) is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, with nearly 80% of girls who use nicotine reporting clinically significant anxiety symptoms, according to three Swedish studies, one with ~3,000 high school students

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#YouthMentalHealth #NicotineUse #AdolescentHealth

A good night’s sleep may help adolescents thrive in school and with friends. Sleep was the strongest lifestyle factor linking mental health symptoms to lower grades, accounting for 18.5% of the association with depression, 36.3% with anxiety and 8.3% with psychotic-like disturbances.

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#SleepScience #AdolescentHealth #MentalHealthEducation

A randomized clinical trial of 532 adolescents found that a video game-based prevention intervention reduced depressive symptoms at 12-month follow-up compared with commercial video games

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#MentalHealth #VideoGameTherapy #AdolescentHealth

Mental disorders are the leading cause of disease burden in Asia Pacific adolescents, and overweight and obesity rose in every one of 44 countries between 2000 and 2023

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#MentalHealthAsia #AdolescentHealth #ObesityPrevalence2023

Owning a smartphone at age 12 was associated with a 103% higher risk of tying self-worth to weight, 67% higher risk of binge eating and 49% higher risk of any eating disorder symptoms by age 14, according to a study of 8,957 adolescents

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#AdolescentHealth #DigitalWellbeing #EatingDisordersRisk

👨‍👦 Higher conflict with fathers linked to less use of teen mental health services, study finds.

📊 Research from NTNU, based on the Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) of 822 adolescents (ages 12-18), highlights this connection.

🤔 The exact reasons for this link are still unclear, but potential explanations include difficulties in disclosing problems or parental perception of need.

#MentalHealth #AdolescentHealth #FamilyDynamics

National Data Show High Rates of Anxiety in U.S Adolescents. Only half of adolescents with moderate or severe anxiety symptoms were getting mental health support. Males, racial and ethnic minorities, and the uninsured were less likely to get mental health help than others.

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#MentalHealthAwareness #AdolescentHealth #AccessToCare

Caffeine Consumption and Adolescent Mental Health: Higher total caffeine intake was associated with lower total cortical surface area.

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#CaffeineResearch #AdolescentHealth #MentalHealthScience

In teenagers (mean age 12.6 years) one additional serve of any type of fruit each day was associated with a 13% lower risk of depression and a 7% lower risk of anxiety over the study period, according to a study on 6537 Australian adolescents followed for 3 years

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#MentalHealth #AdolescentHealth #NutritionScience